The present invention is directed to glove box latches for automobiles and the like. Specifically, it is related to slam to close, rotary pawl latches.
Compartments and glove boxes found in transportation vehicles, such as automobiles and the like, generally have slam to close latches. These slam to close latches function to permit an operator to close a panel, a glove box door, or a compartment with a pushing motion thereby also seating the latch against a striker and thereby also closing the latch into a locked position.
The movement and vibration experienced in such vehicles has promoted the use of rotary pawl latches which positively engage a wire (bar-type) striker. The objective is for the latch to hold the compartment or glove box closed even when subjected to excessive travel vibration or when subjected to body torque and jarring as is encountered in an accident.
The increasing use of plastics in automobile interiors has encouraged the increased use of plastics for latch structural materials. Components of these plastic latches, however, wear, fatigue and otherwise fail under use more readily than their metal counterparts. Besides functionality and operating features, design considerations for such latches now include strength of materials considerations as well as ease of operation, durability, and fatigue points. Further, latch size and manufacturing costs may also be a consideration. The more component parts in a latch, generally, the larger the “envelope” which the latch occupies. Reducing the number of components often leads to reduced envelope size.
Some latches include a goose neck shaped handle levers which permit the pivot point for the handle to be located below the face of the panel or door to which the latch is mounted and permits the handle to be pulled outward above the panel or door.
Young, U.K. patent GB 0561538, shows a latch having a base plate, a recess in the base plate, an eccentric pivoted cam plate which acts as a rotary pawl, being biased to the open position by a spring, for engaging and holding onto a bolt 1226 which acts as a striker, and a catch which is biased to the closed position by second spring. The catch acts like a lock bar to hold the rotary pawl 8 in the locked position.
Both Scania, A.B., Sodertaije, Sweden and Southco, Inc., Concordville, Pa., USA have introduced slam to close, rotary pawl glove box latches with gooseneck-shaped handle levers. These latches are constructed of plastic components with multiple biasing springs. Such a latch is described by Jeffrey Antonucci, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,772 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,006.
These latches have several issues which the present invention addresses.
It is an objective of the present invention to develop a slam to close, rotary pawl latch of reduced volume (reduced envelope size).
It is secondarily an objective to develop such a latch with a minimized number of components.
It is also an objective to develop such a latch with a minimized number of biasing springs.
It is further an objective to develop such a latch which is actuated to open by pulling on the paddle of the latch, wherein the paddle is held in the open position until the latch is closed.
It is also further an objective to develop such a latch which minimizes rattle and noise when subjected to vibration.